


Sleep and Have Courage, She Says

by NexusFaye



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, FemShep - Freeform, Shakarian - Freeform, femshep/garrus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NexusFaye/pseuds/NexusFaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are the most courageous when no one is listening, and will say the things you are otherwise too scared to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep and Have Courage, She Says

The _Normandy_ was silent save for the subtle hum of the engine, though not everyone had taken to the sleep pods for the night _._ Garrus was sitting up in Shepard’s bed, skimming through only one of the endless amounts of datapads that she had spread across her cabin. He honestly couldn’t care less about a Citadel package lost in the Traverse, but there wasn’t much else to occupy him.

 Garrus checked his omni-tool for the time, ‘ _2:04 a.m.’_ His mandibles flickered as he sighed quietly, taking one last look at the datapad before setting it on the nightstand. He never slept much, like most of the other squad members, but when he did he only needed a few hours. Turians slept about half as much as humans, but even then it was becoming obvious how exhausted he was. Shepard especially noticed, but had the courtesy not to say anything. Garrus, however, had no such courtesy, so when he pointed out her own exhaustion, it inevitably led to an argument. It was an hour before they were too tired to keep bickering, thus compromising and promising each other a few hours of shut-eye that night. Garrus knew Shepard better than to trust her word, however, and bunked with her just in case. Not to imply that the commander was untrustworthy—quite the contrary, actually—but she was stubborn when it came to work. “Every hour spent on myself is a thousand lives I could have saved” is what she would say.

Garrus shook his head and looked over to the form curled up next to him. Her chest rose and fell softly, her breathing just audible; it took two hours, but she was finally asleep. Garrus drew his hand along her arm gently, mandibles twitching. He loved moments like these. Shepard never let her guard down completely, but when she slept she was vulnerable and open only to him. She was no longer invincible but she was mortal and she was _his._

Garrus unclasped his visor and place it on top of the datapad, finally succumbing to his will to sleep. But when he turned back to Shepard, her eyebrows were creased and she looked tense—upset, almost. He heard her groan quietly and clench her hands once, then twice.

‘ _Must not be sleeping as well as I thought.’_ He pulled the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Then before her hands could start clenching again, he slid his fingers between hers. She made another noise and shifted, hand tightening in Garrus’ grip. His eyes were glazed over in worry, but he knew that if he woke her she would never go back to sleep. Instead he leaned over and kissed her clumsily on the cheek; it was awkward, as always.

It was quiet and the air was still. “If I had half the courage that you do, Shepard,” he suddenly murmured, subvocals vibrating lowly and mandibles quivering, “And, spirits, I wish I did,” Shepard’s grip didn’t lessen as she settled slightly, the tension in her face beginning to leave as he spoke,

“I’d tell you that I loved you.”


End file.
